Sam Darnold has climbed into rare company.
When the NFL unveiled the latest round of its Top 100 Players of 2026 on Friday morning, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback landed at No. 21, a career-best showing on the player-voted list. It also gave Seattle a second name on the board, after linebacker Ernest Jones IV checked in at No. 97 before Friday’s release.
For Darnold, the jump is a major one. He entered the list for the first time last year at No. 72, and now he’s sitting inside the top 25 after a season that made it clear his breakout wasn’t a one-off. His 2024 run with the Minnesota Vikings drew plenty of attention, but he backed it up in Seattle with 4,048 passing yards, which ranked fifth in the NFL, and 25 touchdown passes.
There was still a blemish on the stat sheet: Darnold led the league in turnovers during the regular season. But he cleaned that up when it mattered most, and the Seahawks rode that steadier play through the postseason to become the first team in NFL history to complete a Super Bowl championship run without turning the ball over once in the playoffs.
And then there’s the little detail that puts his season in even sharper focus: Darnold joined some guy named "Tom Brady" as the only two quarterbacks in NFL history to have consecutive 14-win regular seasons. No biggie, right?
For a Seahawks team that feels like it gets overlooked plenty, this one lands as a pretty clear sign of respect. The Top 100 list is voted on by players around the league, and they’ve now put Seattle’s quarterback among the game’s elite.
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Sam Darnold Just Gave Seahawks Fans A Real Reason To Believe
Sam Darnolds first season with Seattle already has the kind of national attention that can change the temperature around a quarterback room. The Seahawks new starter checked in at No. 21 on the NFL Top 100, a jump of 51 spots from the year before, and it came with a pretty clear sign that peers noticed what he did in 2025. He finished fifth in passing yards and DVOA, tied for ninth in touchdown passes and fourth in game-winning drives, which is the sort of production that turns a respectable signing into something more meaningful.
What stands out for Seattle is not just the ranking, but who was willing to speak up for him. Several defenders around the league, including Byron Murphy II, Grey Zabel and Derek Stingley, praised Darnolds performance and resilience, reinforcing the idea that his season was built on more than raw numbers. The Seahawks have spent plenty of time searching for steady quarterback play, and Darnolds rise has at least given them a real foundation to believe in while the rest of the league starts taking him seriously. [Read more 🡒]